Emma Watson joined Prince William and Benedict Cumberbatch at a United for Wildlife business forum in London on June 22, 2026, where she called on businesses and brands to improve transparency and take greater responsibility for protecting the natural world. Held during London Climate Action Week, the gathering brought together business leaders and organisations to discuss tackling illegal wildlife trade. Speaking at the event, the actress highlighted the importance of storytelling, corporate accountability and innovation in driving environmental action, particularly among younger generations. The forum also marked 10 years of the Buckingham Palace Declaration, with more than 300 corporate members and partners now part of the coalition.
Why did Emma Watson join Prince William’s wildlife campaign in London
According to People, Watson attended the business forum alongside Prince William, the Prince of Wales, and Benedict Cumberbatch. The gathering was organised by The Royal Foundation’s United for Wildlife and brought together representatives from different sectors to discuss their shared responsibility towards protecting the natural world.In a LinkedIn post about the event, United for Wildlife described the discussion as a conversation about “the natural world and our shared responsibility to protect it”. Watson also has a previous association with Prince William’s environmental work. In 2021, she presented the ‘Fix Our Climate’ award at the inaugural Earthshot Prize ceremony in London. The initiative, launched by the Prince of Wales, recognises solutions aimed at addressing environmental challenges, with winners in five categories receiving $1.4 million to support their work.
What message did Emma Watson have for businesses and brands
Speaking at the United for Wildlife business forum, Watson spoke about the influence businesses and brands can have through the way they communicate their environmental commitments. She said: “Storytelling is really powerful, and the story that you tell as a brand, and the transparency you have and the way that you talk around these issues, it matters.”The actress also emphasised that these conversations were particularly important for younger people. “It matters to young people,” she added. Watson encouraged business leaders to bring their personal values into their professional responsibilities and highlighted the role of technology and innovation in environmental protection. She also drew attention to the people working on the front lines of conservation, saying that those risking their lives to protect nature were the reason others could come together to discuss these issues.
What is Prince William’s United for Wildlife initiative, and when was it launched
According to an official announcement from The Royal Foundation’s United for Wildlife, the June 22 forum marked 10 years since the launch of the Buckingham Palace Declaration in 2016. The initiative began with commitments from more than 40 corporations and agencies and has since expanded to more than 300 corporate members and partners. Founded in 2013 by Prince William, United for Wildlife works with law enforcement organisations, governments, non-governmental organisations, communities and private-sector partners to disrupt wildlife trafficking networks.The latest forum also introduced new commitments from companies across the technology, finance and transport sectors. Major digital platforms, including Amazon, Alibaba, Google, Meta, TikTok, eBay, Etsy, Pinterest and Baidu, committed publicly to working towards ending illegal wildlife trade listings on their platforms. Their collaboration will explore AI-enabled detection and prevention methods. According to the announcement, the participating platforms represent approximately 33% of the global e-commerce market and reach more than 90% of the world’s social media users.
How will PayPal and Chainalysis help track financial activity linked to wildlife crime
The financial sector also featured in the announcements, with cryptocurrency companies committing to disrupt the financial flows associated with illegal wildlife trade. Organisations including PayPal, TRM Labs, Chainalysis, Circle and Luno are joining efforts under the Mansion House Declaration. The initiative will establish a dedicated working group to identify suspicious financial activity, develop indicators of trafficker behaviour and coordinate investigations with law enforcement agencies.Transport and telecommunications companies also announced measures as part of the campaign. British Airways is launching a pilot public awareness campaign at Heathrow, with plans to expand it through in-flight entertainment and short episodes highlighting frontline environmental defenders. Vodafone, together with Vodacom and Safaricom, will use artificial intelligence and transaction-monitoring systems across M-Pesa to identify financial transactions linked to wildlife trafficking. The official announcement stated that the platform reaches 72 million customers in East Africa. These commitments form part of United for Wildlife’s wider effort to strengthen cooperation between businesses and organisations working to prevent illegal wildlife trade.